Out and about near Yuncheng, Shanxi province

Today (October 4), my hosts, Luyan and Xining (who will be getting married in a couple of days – which is why I made this trip to China) took me, and the rest of our party, out to a few of the nearby attractions. Our first stop was the local salt lake. I didn’t take any pictures of that, as the haze from the pollution was quite thick. Our second and third stops, though, were quite interesting.

The second stop was the local Gaun Di (Gaun Yu) Temple, located in the Yanhu district of Yuncheng. This temple dates back about 1500 years. Gaun Yu actually came from a town nearby here. He was known as a saintly emperor, in the Taoist religion. This temple is not a reconstruction, but is actually the real deal.

My friends, Luyan and Xining, who will be getting married on October 6

My friends, Luyan and Xining, who will be getting married on October 6

The second stop was the Guanque Tower. This is actually a replica of the original, complete with modern staircases and lifts. Unfortunately, I didn’t end up taking my photos here, as my camera battery started running out.